By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
There is far more good indy wrestling out there than I can watch. So, in this review, I’m popping in on multiple recent indy shows and watching just a few matches from each show that interest me. The reality is that I wasn’t going to get to watch every match from every one of these shows! I picked out matches with top names we’ve seen on TV, some top indy names, and WWE ID prospects.
* In this roundup, I picked out twelve matches from across six different recent indy shows (two matches from each event).
1FW “Episode 39” from Atlanta, Georgia (released June 24 on Triller+)
* This was likely taped somewhere in early May. A reminder that 1FW is now available on MyAEW. I have now seen several matches from this taping. Lighting is good, and the crowd was maybe 100, seated on three sides of the ring. This is QT Marshall’s promotion, and I like what they’re doing here. Brendon Benafield and Conrad Thompson provided commentary.
RUSH and Jose the Assassin vs. “The Supastarz” Jimmy Wild and Nikki Eight (w/Tommy Mars). The Supastarz all have names that make me think of Motley Crue members, and they’ve done a few ROH tapings now. Jose and Wild opened with basic offense. Jose hit a huracanrana. All four fought on the floor. RUSH hit some loud chops. RUSH threw Jimmy into the ring and stomped on him. [C]
Back from the break, the Supastarz were stomping on Jose. Wild slowed Jose on the mat. The Supastarz choked Jose with the Mexican flag at 6:30, and that drew some boos. Jose finally hit an enzuigiri. RUSH got the hot tag, and he hit some overhand chops on each heel. He kicked Wild in the face in the corner and did the Tranquilo pose. Nikki hit a uranage. RUSH pulled Tommy Mars — who isn’t in the match! — into the ring and stomped on him. He hit the running basement dropkick on Wild for the pin. Merely okay — I wanted to see more of RUSH and less of Jose.
RUSH and Jose the Assassin defeated “The Supastarz” Jimmy Wild and Nikki Eight at 9:42.
Carlie Bravo (w/Shawn Dean) vs. Holden Glass. My first time seeing Holden; he is a young Black man with short dreadlocks. He doesn’t have a cagematch.net bio yet. The Infantry had their ROH six-man tag belts (so this was recorded before the Infantry lost the belts on May 15!) Bravo flipped Glass to the floor, and he hit some chops at ringside. They are the same height, but Bravo has a muscle mass advantage. They got back in the ring, and Bravo hit a Flatliner for a nearfall at 3:00, and he stomped on Holden’s elbow. [C]
Back from the break, Bravo hit a Mafia Kick for a nearfall. Glass fired up and hit some kicks and a spinning heel kick to the jaw for a nearfall at 6:00. Bravo hit a superkick. He set up for a Shellshock, but Glass escaped and hit a Cody-style springboard Disaster Kick for a nearfall! Bravo punched him in the jaw and hit the Shellshock swinging faceplant for the pin. Decent. The commentators noted they’ve seen Glass here a few times now; he held his own.
Carlie Bravo defeated Holden Glass at 7:04.
Produce, “Volume 1: The Octopus” in New York, New York, at Pioneer Works on June 29, 2026 (pay-per-view streamed on MyAEW)
The main show was a PPV, but they had a two-match pre-show on YouTube. NJPW commentator Walker Stewart, along with Tom Lawlor, called the action. This is a small brick music hall, and the crowd was only 200. The ring was well-lit, and the canvas looked brand new. Based on the hype for this event, I was expecting a much larger venue — something that could hold maybe 800 or so. Results of the main show are online, with Zack Sabre Jr. defeating Darian Bengston, while Jonathan Gresham beat Fuminori Abe in the main event. Here are the pre-show matches.
Nixi XS and Jordan Blade and Janai Kai vs. Gabby Forza and Emersyn Jayne and Dark Sheik. I’m fairly familiar with all six. Jayne is a UK star; she does a fair number of death matches. Walker said we “have an intimate audience” (because it’s a small room but jam-packed). Lawlor noted he’s been in the ring with mat specialist Blade. Janai and Gabby opened, and Forza threw her to the mat. Blade and Jayne entered at 2:00, and they traded some quick mat reversals.
Jayne hit a headscissors takedown and a springboard crossbody block for a nearfall. Fashionista Nixi XS entered to take on trans hero Dark Sheik. Nixi hit a double underhook suplex at 4:00. Sheik hit a missile dropkick for a nearfall. Gabby nailed a Castagnoli-style Giant Swing on Nixi! Blade hit a fisherman’s suplex on Gabby for a nearfall at 5:30. Nixi’s team took turns stomping on Gabby.
Gabby hit a Samoan Drop-and-fallaway slam combo on two women, and that popped the crowd. Sheik got the hot tag at 7:00 and hit a spin heel kick to Nixi’s jam, then slammed Nixi to the mat. Sheik powerbombed Janai. Blade hit a DVD on Sheik. Jayne hit a German Suplex on Blade, then a running kick at 8:30. Nixi hit a spin kick on Sheik. Gabby nailed the Fire Thunder Driver (piledriver) on Nixi for the pin. Fun action and a good showcase for all six.
Gabby Forza, Emersyn Jayne, and Dark Sheik defeated Nixi XS, Jordan Blade, and Janai Kai at 9:16.
Dominic Garrini vs. Oni King. Garrini wore a long black robe; no teammate Kevin Ku tonight. Lawlor talked about all the times he’s teamed and fought Garrini (they were in the same faction in MLW a few years ago). Oni has been on several Jersey Championship Wrestling shows; he looks a lot like 2026 Jay Lethal. They traded shoulder blocks, then traded slaps. Garrini knocked him down with a shoulder tackle. Oni sat down and let Garrini kick him in the spine! Oni hit an Exploder Suplex at 3:00 and a Helluva Kick.
Garrini hit a German Suplex and a leaping piledriver for a nearfall. They got up and traded overhand chops and forearm strikes. Garrini hit a jumping knee, but Oni hit a flying forearm and mounted Garrini. Ref Gina pulled King off of Garrini and called for the bell, determining that Garrini had been knocked out. Short but hard-hitting.
Oni King defeated Dominic Garrini at 4:23.
BloodStone Wrestling “I’m not Okay” in Chicago, Illinois at Logan Square Auditorium on June 12, 2026 (released June 22 on YouTube)
I’ve noted multiple times that this ballroom is an ideal location for pro wrestling shows. It has a high ceiling, ornate walls, and a crowd of 350 or so, always looks and sounds great. BloodStone held their first few events at the Eagles Club in Berwyn, but moved here after the Eagles Club decided to stop hosting wrestling events.
Laynie Luck vs. Gringo Loco. Both are regulars here in the Chicago scene. Laynie had her WWE ID Title belt. Basic reversals early on. Laynie hit a huracanrana that sent Loco to the floor! She hit a superkick on the floor. Loco powerbombed her on the ring apron at 2:00, and he got a nearfall in the ring. Loco hit a Falcon Arrow for a nearfall, then a fisherman’s buster for a nearfall at 4:00. Loco hit a swinging faceplant for a nearfall.
Loco tied her in a Gory Special along his back, but she escaped and hit an armdrag, then a facebreaker over her knee. On the floor, she struck Loco with a chair, rolled him into the ring, and got a nearfall at 7:00. They brawled on the ropes in the corner, and she hit a huracanrana to the mat. Laynie dove through the ropes at 9:00 and pushed him back in. Laynie nailed a Poison Rana! She hit a second-rope flying stunner for the pin!
Laynie Luck defeated Gringo Loco at 10:13.
Bobby Orlando vs. Alfonso Gonzalez vs. Gary Jay vs. Rafael Quintero. Bobby traveled here from New York, while Gary came from St. Louis. Orlando cut a heel promo; he’s always the babyface! He was upset because he got booed in his last match at BloodStone against Alfonso. He belittled the Chicago Bears for leaving this dump and heading to Indiana. Alfonso hit Bobby, and we’re underway! Those two brawled on the floor. Gary and Rafael dove through the ropes onto both of them. Quintero hit another dive. In the ring, Quintero powerbombed Gary over the top rope onto the other two on the floor!
Quintero then hit a flip dive onto all three at 1:30! In the ring, Orlando and Rafael ran the ropes, and Quintero hit a flying elbow to drop Bobby. Bobby hit a springboard frog splash on Quintero for a nearfall. Gary and Alfonso traded chops. Quintero hit a huracanrana on Gary. He hit a running basement dropkick in the corner on Gary at 4:00. They did a Tower of Doom out of the corner, and they were all down, and we got a “This is awesome!” chant.
Orlando hit his flying Athena-style stunner. Orlando hit a Blue Thunder Bomb on Gonzalez at 6:30. Gary hit a leaping Flatliner. Rafael hit a Bulldog Powerslam on Gary. Alfonso hit a TKO stunner on Quintero! However, Bobby shoved Alfonso to the floor and stole the pin on Quintero! Alfonso was livid! Apparently, it was the exact same finish last month, so Bobby has stolen two wins from Alfonso!
Bobby Orlando defeated Alfonso Gonzalez, Gary Jay, and Rafael Quintero at 7:14.
Only Wrestlers Association in North Versailles, Pennsylvania, at Sunny Days Arena on April 28, 2026 (released on YouTube this week)
This is a small room with a high ceiling, and the crowd was maybe 150. Joe Dombrowki was the ring announcer. The lighting is really good; I liked the overall production. North Versailles is located on the south end of the Pittsburgh metro area.
Tessa Blanchard (w/Mila Moore) vs. Dani Mo for the OWA Women’s Title. This opened the show. Mo got a nice hometown pop; she’s an athletic blonde and has several AEW/ROH matches under her belt. Dombrowski said she is competing in Power Slap. (Why???) It can’t be stated enough how tall Mila is; she towers over Tessa! We got the bell, but Tessa rolled to the floor to stall, and she got booed. They finally locked up and tied up on the mat. Tessa applied a leg lock around the neck. Dani hit a spin kick to the head in the corner, then a basement dropkick for a nearfall at 4:00.
Dani hit a delayed Vader Bomb for a nearfall. They brawled to the floor, and Tessa tied Mo’s left arm in the guardrail. In the ring, Tessa stomped on Dani and kept her grounded. She hit Dani with a hard slap to the face at 7:30! Tessa applied a leg lock on the mat and punched Mo in the forehead. Mo got to the ropes to break the leg lock. Tessa grabbed her title, but she handed it back to Mila. Dani fired up and hit some clotheslines and a Code Red for a nearfall at 10:30.
Dani got Tessa on her shoulders, but Mila saved her. Tessa hit a splash for a nearfall. Mo nailed a Michinoku Driver for a nearfall. Tessa hit a Lungblower to the chest out of the corner for a nearfall at 13:00. Dani hit a Matt Hardy-style Side Effect for a nearfall, but Mila put Tessa’s foot on the ropes! The crowd booed Mila. Tessa again grabbed her belt, but the ref confiscated it. Mila did an eye poke on Mo, and it allowed Tessa to hit a sit-out powerbomb for the tainted pin. Good action, and they got more time than I anticipated.
Tessa Blanchard defeated Dani Mo to retain the OWA Women’s Title at 14:19.
Brian Cage vs. Chandler Hopkins. Hopkins is the cowboy character I’ve seen multiple times in ROW in Houston, so it’s a bit surprising to see him in the Pittsburgh suburbs. (He’s the guy who looks a lot like Jay White.) They hugged, but then Hopkins kicked him. The ref called for the bell to begin; Hopkins stomped on Cage in the corner. Cage hit a huge clothesline. Hopkins hit some quick kicks. Cage did some bicep curls with Hopkins in his arms, then a fallaway slam at 2:00. Hopkins snapped Cage across the top rope and hit a Flatliner for a nearfall.
Hopkins tied Cage in an inverted Texas Cloverleaf (he was facing Cage’s body), but Brian reached the ropes at 4:00. They went to the floor, and Cage hit some chops against the guardrails. In the ring, Hopkins hit some stomps and kept Brian grounded. Cage hit a German Suplex at 7:00, and he was fired up. He hit a second-rope superplex for the pin. Satisfying match.
Brian Cage defeated Chandler Hopkins at 7:42.
WrestleARTS “WrestleARTS 29,” in Indianapolis, Indiana, at the Irving Theater on March 28, 2026 (released this week on YouTube)
This is a dark auditorium. The hard camera is way too far away. The crowd was maybe 150, including some fans seated on the stage.
Billie Starkz vs. Camryn Avery. My first time seeing Camryn, a Black woman in black gear, and she’s giving up some height and overall size to Billie. The commentators said Avery has been wrestling for about a year, and I see she doesn’t have a cagematch.net bio yet. Standing switches early on, and Billie applied an ankle lock. She knocked Camryn down with a shoulder tackle at 2:30. Avery hit a headscissors takedown and running knees in the corner. They fought to the floor, and Starkz threw her into the ring post.
Starkz hit a DDT onto the stage at 4:00, and that got some boos. She threw Camryn into the ring and got a nearfall. Billie choked her in the ropes and was in charge and was getting booed. Camryn got a rollup for a nearfall at 6:30; Billie hopped up and hit a stiff Pump Kick to the sternum! Billie hit more forearm strikes in the corner, and she yelled at the ref, too. Billie hit some stiff kicks to the spine and one to the jaw! Starkz went for the Swanton Bomb, but Avery got her knees up. Billie hit a spin kick to the jaw, but Avery hit a clothesline, and they were both down.
They got to their knees and traded forearm strikes and more while standing. The crowd was behind Avery. Camryn hit an enzuigiri and was fired up! She hit some hard chops and hit a flipping neck-snap on Billie for a nearfall. Camryn hit a Gory Bomb for a nearfall at 10:00! Billie hit a shoulder-breaker over her knee, and this time she nailed the Swanton Bomb for the pin. That was a sharp match for the newcomer Avery; I wouldn’t be surprised if Billie invites her to compete at the next “Girl Fight” show.
Billie Starkz defeated Camryn Avery at 10:59.
Calvin Tankman vs. Brandon Prophet. I don’t think I’ve seen Brandon before, but he’s a ring vet who wears white face paint. Tankman got on the mic and noted that Brandon was wrestling when Calvin was in middle school. (Prophet is 43, according to cagematch.net). They immediately brawled and Prophet hit a running knee. Tankman nailed a Pounce that sent Prophet flying. Calvin hit a splash in the corner. He walked on Brandon’s back, then hit a mammoth splash to the mat for a nearfall at 3:30. Tankman hit some chops as Prophet was on his knees; Brandon had no offense thus far.
Brandon finally got up and hit some forearm strikes, but Tankman hit a Spinebuster at 5:00. Calvin hit a vicious forearm strike to the back of the neck for a nearfall. He hit some more forearm strikes, and they brawled back to the floor. Tankman struck him across the back with a chair at 8:00. Brandon got up and threw a chair at Calvin; I hate thrown chairs, especially when there aren’t guardrails, and they are essentially fighting in the crowd. They finally got back into the ring at 11:00.
Tankman threw several more chairs at Prophet’s head. He cracked one over the top of the head with Brandon making no effort to protect himself, and Calvin got a nearfall at 13:30. Brandon got up, and they brawled. Prophet hit a low blow, and he threw a chair at Calvin’s head; at least Tankman got his arms up to partially block it. Prophet hit a DDT for a nearfall at 15:00. Brandon leapt off the ropes, but Tankman hit a forearm strike. Calvin hit a DVD across four chairs for the pin. Ugh. I didn’t expect it to be that type of match.
Calvin Tankman defeated Brandon Prophet at 18:03.
Freelance Wrestling “Freelance vs. The World” in Chicago, Illinois, at Logan Auditorium on Jun 26, 2026 (IWTV)
Yes, another show at Logan Square, just like the above-mentioned BloodStone Wrestling. It’s just a great venue, so multiple promotions run there. This is Freelance’s 12th anniversary show, so congrats to them.
Izzy Moreno vs. Effy. Bayley superfan Izzy just turned 19; apparently when she was 11, Effy chokeslammed her. They have turned this into a storyline of her wanting revenge for the past eight years! Izzy wore a black T-shirt and blue jeans — she’s here for a fight! She shoved him, and they locked up. She hit a huracanranra at 1:30, then a Northern Lights Suplex for a nearfall. Effy went for a chokeslam, but she blocked it, and she hit a stunner for a nearfall. They fought to the floor and looped the ring.
In the ring, Effy got a nearfall at 4:30. He stomped on her and was booed. He nailed a running knee to her forehead in the corner for a nearfall. Effy hit three consecutive Earthquake buttdrops to her sternum and got a nearfall at 6:30. He hit a vicious Stomp for a nearfall. Effy got a cigarette, lit it, and was going to burn her with it! She shoved it down his throat! Izzy hit a tornado DDT and a second-rope crossbody block for a nearfall at 9:00, and we got a “This is awesome!” chant.
Effy cut her in half with a spear for a nearfall! She got up and hit some slaps. Effy dropped her with a Pump Kick, and he got more boos. He again set up for a chokeslam, and he hit it! She kicked out at one at 10:30! He hit a Fame-asser leg drop for a nearfall, and we got a loud “Izzy!” chant. Izzy got underneath him in a corner and hit a running powerbomb! She slapped Effy in the face, and she hit a chokeslam! She gave him the middle finger and hit a running knee to the jaw for the pin! That was an absolute blast. He offered a handshake; she hugged him, and the crowd cheered.
Izzy Moreno defeated Effy at 12:35.
Davey Bang and August Matthews (w/James Russo) vs. “The Headbangers” Mosh and Thrasher for the Freelance Tag Team Titles. The Headbangers are doing a retirement tour with a stop here. The bell rang, but lots of stalling and jawing at the ref and the crowd. Matthews and Thrasher finally locked up at 1:30. Thrasher backed him into a corner and hit some loud chops. Mosh and Bang got in at 4:30. Mosh choked Bang in the ropes, then he bounced on Bang’s shoulders as Davey was still in the ropes.
The champs began working over Mosh in their corner, and Russo choked Mosh, too. Mosh finally hit some running buttbumps in the corner on both guys at 10:30, and August crashed head-first on Bang’s groin. The Headbangers hit a team flapjack for a visual pin, but the ref was arguing with Russo. Bang hit a low blow on Mosh. Matthews covered Mosh for the pin. Fairly basic, but the crowd enjoyed seeing the former WWF stars.
Davey Bang and August Matthews (w/James Russo) defeated “The Headbangers” Mosh and Thrasher to retain the Freelance Tag Team Titles at 11:46.
* Mosh got on the mic and talked about their retirement tour, saying their final match will be Dec. 26, but they will still do conventions, etc. Mosh said he and Thrasher have been teammates for 33 years! “You guys make it hard for us to say goodbye,” he said. A really nice ovation from the fans.
Final Thoughts: I still haven’t seen the footage of Effy vs. Izzy from eight years ago, but I’ve heard enough about it over the past month. That match was the best of the dozen I checked out here. The crowd was fully behind her, and she got her long-awaited victory over Effy. I’ll go with another intergender match for second, as Laynie Luck vs. Gringo Loco worked for me. Billie Starkz took a rookie Camryn Avery through a really good match. Now I want to see more of Avery to see if she can have that level of match with others.
If ROH is to AEW what NXT is to WWE, then 1FW is to AEW what Evolve is to WWE. I see it as a stepping stone for a lot of young trainees to get in some ring work and hopefully get noticed once they get an ROH match. While I didn’t love that RUSH tag match — I wanted to see more of him destroying those heels than that — I like that so many big-name AEW wrestlers have done their tapings.
Some attractive-looking shows. That Produce show looked like a really fun atmosphere. If I have time later, I might check out the rest of the BloodStone show. In comparison, the WrestleARTS show was disappointing to watch from a production standpoint, as the room was just a bit too dark, and the hard camera, which was used frequently, was just a bit too far away. Certainly, many other shows looked better than that, including the other five I checked out here.
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